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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · bulb · tube · chest · stand · leaves · craft · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. craft — boats
  15. stand — to bear
  16. tube — a container
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rash — hasty
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com